Types of activity you can carry out

These include when:

a contractor is involved in clearing silt from sections of a river and deposits the dredgings on the banks of the river

a contractor is involved in clearing silt and plant matter from sections of a canal. The contractor screens the dredgings to remove litter and then deposits the dredgings to let the water drain away. When the water has drained, the dredgings are taken away for spreading on land under an environmental permit

Types of activity you can’t carry out

You can’t:

deposit dredgings on the bank of a different inland water or deposit dredgings from any other waters - this is to prevent the spread of contamination or invasive non-native species, and to keep outside the requirements of the Landfill Directive

deposit dredgings that are hazardous waste - this is also to keep outside the requirements of the Landfill Directive

treat dredgings other than by screening or removing water

Types of waste you can deposit

The waste codes are those listed in the List of Wastes (LoW) Regulations. You need to make sure your waste fits within the relevant waste code and description.

Waste code

Type of waste

170506

Dredging spoil not containing hazardous substances

Quantity of waste you can deposit

Over any 12 month period, you can deposit or treat up to 50 cubic metres of dredgings for each metre length of land on which waste is deposited.

Key conditions

The waste must be deposited as close as possible to where it was dredged from.

The waste must be deposited either:

on the bank of the waters from where it was dredged

or on land next to the water it was dredged from (the dredgings must be removed from the waterway and deposited mechanically in one operation)

This means that you can’t deposit onto a bank and then move it further away by the same or another machine.

What else you need to know

A river or canal may be an example of a place which can be regarded as a ‘linear network’ for the purpose of registering this exemption. Guidance on the meaning of place

Non-hazardous dredgings that are deposited alongside the waterway from where they are dredged are excluded from the Landfill Directive. This can apply to dredgings placed into a lagoon.

As well as registering this exemption, you may also need to comply with other legislation. In particular, this may apply to the dredging activity itself or if you use the dredgings under the U1 exemption.

Things to check include:

planning permission – contact your local planning authority to find out if you need to make an application

if you are raising levels or building in the floodplain or near an ordinary watercourse, contact your lead local flood authority (County Council, Unitary Authority or Internal Drainage Board) to discuss whether you need any consent other than planning permission